Kyle Lowry Reportedly Would Have Forced Trade Without New Raptors Contract

Defending a championship without Kawhi Leonard is hard enough, but the Toronto Raptors reportedly almost had to deal with Kyle Lowry trade demands as well. 

According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, "if the Raptors weren't going to give him an extension, sources close to Lowry say, he was prepared to hold out and try and force a deal to a destination of his choosing rather than allow the club to control the timing."

The Raptors did just that, as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported they inked him to a one-year, $31 million extension. He was previously set to be a free agent following the upcoming season.

Grange provided additional details on the situation, noting the fact Lowry did not participate in training camp and was ruled out of exhibition games against the Houston Rockets in Japan came as no surprise because those close to him thought he wouldn’t play until he received the extension.

From Toronto’s side, that the extension is just for one year is important because Lowry is 33 years old and will not be on the books in the summer of 2021 when Giannis Antetokounmpo headlines a talented free agency class.

Regardless of the contract situation, Lowry is a Raptors legend who is synonymous with the team’s ascent into contending status in the Eastern Conference during the past seven seasons.

Toronto won a single playoff series in franchise history before his arrival, and he and DeMar DeRozan led it to the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals and playoff series wins in 2017 and 2018. Lowry was a key piece alongside Leonard last season, helping lead the team to its first championship.

The five-time All-Star averaged 14.2 points, 8.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals a night last season and was dominant in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors with 26 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and three steals.

He can turn in performances like that for the Raptors for another season beyond the 2019-20 campaign after inking the extension.